


Happy if just for a day

by Number_Twelve



Series: The Umbrella Academy Oneshots & others [8]
Category: The Umbrella Academy (TV)
Genre: Ben Hargreeves & Klaus Hargreeves Friendship, Gen, Klaus Hargreeves-centric, Luther Hargreeves Has a Human Body, Minor Allison Hargreeves/Luther Hargreeves, Minor Injuries, POV Vanya Hargreeves, Protective Number Five | The Boy, Reginald Hargreeves' A+ Parenting, Sibling Bonding, Soft Diego Hargreeves, That was sarcastic again, Young Vanya Hargreeves
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-08-21
Updated: 2020-08-21
Packaged: 2021-03-06 21:01:00
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,360
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/26025379
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Number_Twelve/pseuds/Number_Twelve
Summary: Vanya remembers a day in which she could have pretended that she maybe wasn't so different from her siblings.
Relationships: Allison Hargreeves & Vanya Hargreeves, Ben Hargreeves & Vanya Hargreeves, Diego Hargreeves & Vanya Hargreeves, Grace Hargreeves & Vanya Hargreeves, Klaus Hargreeves & Vanya Hargreeves, Luther Hargreeves & Vanya Hargreeves, Number Five | The Boy & Vanya Hargreeves, Reginald Hargreeves & Vanya Hargreeves, The Hargreeves Family, Vanya Hargreeves & Dr. Pogo
Series: The Umbrella Academy Oneshots & others [8]
Series URL: https://archiveofourown.org/series/1885216
Comments: 2
Kudos: 102
Collections: The umbrella academy





	Happy if just for a day

**Author's Note:**

> A bit angsty, but there will be a lot of sunshine to this, since it is one of Vanya's happiest memories in her childhood.

It was a complicated yet beautiful piece of music. It fills the quiet halls of the mansion, Vanya's childhood home. She has her eyes closed as she plays, at ease with the way that her fingers flitt over her violin's strings and the sharp, graceful movement of her bow upon the strings. The song is breathtaking, the music notes speaking for themselves, speaking to Vanya as she creates them, remembering them from years ago when she had last played the song. She had had worked countless hours just to-

-get the melody and the notes right and then, somehow, get Dad to praise her. Her fingers made the wrong movement and the note she had been trying to play twisted into a screech. Vanya stopped playing, lowering her bow just a bit with a fustrated sigh. It would take her _weeks_ just to get those notes right, and perhaps even longer to even get a word of praise out of her father's mouth. Her cheeks burned red with indignation and fustration at the fact, but she had to keep trying, didn't she? She had vowed to master playing the violin, and that she would do. She raised the bow once more, setting string against string, and began to play it again from zero, playing it slower than it should be so she had time to correct the small mistakes. She avoided letting her eyes close as to concentrate her maximun on the melody and the song. She reached a high pitch, arm straining to get it right, perfect, inpeca-

There was a sudden flash of blue as Five suddenly jumped out of thin air, making Vanya shriek and jump back with shock, nearly tripping over her feet. 

"Yo, Vanya!" Five said, a wide smile, very different from the ones he wears now, on his young face, "We are playing cops and robbers! Do you want to join us? It's Saturday, so Dad's not home and he can't tell you not to, and then there will be five robbers! It will be fun! Oh. Did I surprise you?" he asked, just noticing Vanya's shocked face after the nearly breathless words he had been saying.

"Um, a little…?" Vanya squeaked, her grasp on her violin strong. Five gave her an apologetic smile.

"Sorry. It's just that everyone is going to join in, for once." he added. "And it won't be as fun as it would be with you. So… are you coming?" Vanya was more than willing to say yes. Her siblings wanted her to join in? For once? She had better relationships with Five, Klaus and Ben, but it was surprising that the other three even wanted her there. Surprising... and kind of heart-lifting. She gently put her violin and it's bow back in its case, shuting it.

"Sure," she said in a small voice. But inside she was gushing with excitement at the prospect of being able to join her sibblings in a game, in something. Maybe... maybe they would let her in more often? See that perhaps there wasn't much difference between them all? She hoped so with all her heart as she followed Five out into the corridor, the two twelve-year-olds rapidly descending the stairs.

"You got Vanya to join too!" Klaus said with a grin when the two walked into the kitchen.

"Yep." Five said, taking a seat on one of the stools. "Did you guys decide who is who or do I need to do that too?"

"Diego and Allison are the cops, the rest if us are robbers," Ben replied, perched on top of a decorative crate. "and we can go upstairs as well as downstairs."

"Perfect. Shall we start?" Five asked, fingers drumming impatiently on the table.

"Yep. The "jail" is the kitchen." Luther said, patting the table. 

"Cool. Can we start now?" Diego yawned, seated on a stool and playing with one of his knives.

"And guys, Vanya's playing too, so no powers allowed." Five added, getting up. 

Soon Allison and Diego were counting down from a hundred while the others ran out of the kitchen.

"So, I've never really played the game before," Vanya said as they headed for the stairs, "so what do we do to win?"

"Don't get yourself caught," Ben replied, hopping ahead of them.

"Do we have a strategy?" Luther asked, running up the stairs. Vanya could hear the other two counting. They were on seventy eight already.

"Try to confuse them. Maybe we shouldn't all be on the upper floor, or they will find us quickly." Ben mused.

"True. Luther and Ben, you two should go to the upper floors. Vanya, Klaus and I will be here. Do whatever you want from that point, but try not to get your selves caught." Five said. Luther and Ben were charging up the stairs in an instant, dissapearing above the landing as Five leaded the way to the library, Klaus and Vanya doing their best to remain silent. The countdown had already reached sixty five.

"I'll go through the south wing. You two try the library. If they find you, go north, towards the courtyard. Keep away from the kitchen as much as you can," Five said. They parted ways, the countdown reaching fifty seven. Klaus pushed the doors of the library open, moving aside to let Vanya pass, the two trying hard not to giggle with nervousness and excitement. 

"I'll be over there." Klaus said, pointing to the science fiction side. Vanya nodded, heading left and the opposite side as Klaus dissapeared into the aisle. They stopped, staying somewhere between the two doorways and exchanging nervous looks. Soon the countdown had reached ten.

Nine  
Eight  
Seven  
Six  
Five  
Four  
Three  
Two  
One-

"We don't care if you guys are hidden or not, because we are coming!" Diego shouted, the kitchen doors slamming open. Vanya put a hand over her mouth, listening to her sibling's footsteps outside the library and their murmured plans. She brused a strand of hair aside from her face, listening intently. At least one of them was going upstairs, but she couldn't tell properly due to her thundering heart. But then the doors creaked a bit and she knew that someone was close by. She peeked through a small space between the books and the shelve she was hiding behind to see Allison's form at the doorway.

"Come out, come out, wherever you are..." she said, coming in further. There was a sudden shout coming from upstairs, making her freeze in place, head swinging up.

"Allison! Luther and Ben are hiding around here!" Diego's voice shouted, moving somewhere just above them.

"I'm coming!" Allison called back, racing outside the library and up the stairs. Vanya exhaled shakedly, untensing her muscles.

"Klaus?" she asked in a quiet voice.

"Yeah?"

"Do you think we should move somewhere else? They might come back," she said. There was a short pause.

"Sure, why not?" Her brother said, walking ove to stand next to her. They crept out of the library, thundering of footsteps and shouting and laughs coming from upstairs.

"Where did Five say he was?" Klaus whispered, clutching at his chest where his heart was.

"Near the courtyard." Vanya said. Just then, their brother poked out from behind a column and motioned for them to run to him. They did, trying to run as silently as possible.

"What should we do?" Vanya asked him.

"The luncheon may work," he said. "At least two of us can fit in one of the closets there and the other can hide underneath the table."

"Sounds good. And if they find us?" Klaus whispered. There was a sudden bump coming from upstairs.

"Shit, I think they are coming down." Five hreathed. "Come on!" 

They sprinted to the luncheon, Klaus ducking under the table. Five wrenched the closet's door open and dived in, pulling Vanya in after him and silently closing the door behind them as steps thundered down the stairs. It was Ben who raced into the luncheon, whipped his head around and had no choice but to hide underneath the table as well. They heard a faint, surprised yelp coming from Klaus when he did so, but then Diego was racing in as well, panting as he looked around wildly.

"You are fast, but I will catch you!" he said, stepping further in the room. He looked around-

-and walked straight to the closets. Five and Vanya exchanged terrified glances as their brother wrenched one of the doors open. Five tapped Vany's shoulder and held up five fingers, lowering them in countdown. Vanya knew what was going to happen. The last finger went down and Five kicked the door open, jumping out and dragging Vanya with him as he dashed for the library. Diego cried out with surprise, recovering and running after them. Vanya nearly slipped and fell, but they made it into the library seconds before Diego did, running down one of the aisles and stopping at a corner as Diego slowed down to catch his breath, eyes scanning the area for them.

He begun to walk forward, and Five gripped Vanya's forearm, slowly moving in the opposite direction as their brother, lowering himself a bit and gesturing for Vanya to do the same. Soon it was Diego standing on the other side of the room, allowing Five to slip outside, Vanya in tow. They went for thebstairs, but heard Luther's heavy steps running towards them. Maybe he was being chased? Five made a sharp turn, releasing Vanya's arm as they ducked for cover behind a small couch. Luther soon appeared at the stairs, jumping the last three in one go and ducking into the library, Allison appearing just behind him as he went through the doors. 

"HA!" Diego shouted. Luther yelped, and there was a thudding noise as Allison jumped the last two stairs, Five and Vanya seizing their chance to run upstairs. Soon they were at the landing, seeing as Diego and Allison took poor Luther to the kitchen. Not moments had passed before Ben and Klaus had joined them.

"We have some time before they come to look for us upstairs," Ben whispered. "we should spread out."

"Alright. Good luck, guys." Klaus said, running for the attic.

Half an hour later (because I doubt you guys will enjoy if I keep going on and anyways I am running out of places where they can hide)

"Damn," Ben hissed. "They got Five."

"So it's just you an me?" Vanya asked, watching as Allison leaded Five to the kitchen were Luther and Klaus were laughing at some stupid joke.

"And me." Both of them turned their heads straighter to find that Diego was looking at the from the other side of the railing, a predatory smile on his face.

"And you and Allison." Ben added, slowly moving back. Vanya stumbled after him just as Diego bolted left, swiftly running towards them.

"For the stairs," Ben hissed, leading the waay. Vanya stumbled after him, breath coming out in gasps as they ran for the stairs. Ben easily descended, but Vanya's foot turned and she fell hard, tumbling down the last six with a pained yelp.

"Vanya!" Ben cried. "Stop the game for a minute!" he ran back to her. She trembled, blood smudged on her hands from the scrape on her knees that she was trying to stop the bleeding from.

"Vanya? Are you okay?" Allison cried, running to them. Vanya wiped a couple of pained tears from her eyes, staining her cheeks a bit red.

"I-it's just a c-cut," she stuttered.

"What happened?" Luther stepped outside of the kitchen jujst as the house's front door opened. 

_Shit._

"What," Reginald's voice was like a wip, making them all snap their heads to watch him stride inside, Pogo walking in after him, "is going on?"

"Vanya had an accident, Dad, she fell down the stairs," Ben said, crouched next to his sister.

"Pogo, get Grace," Their father said. The chimpanzee nodded his head and ambled off in direction of the kitchen, where Grace was (she had arrived there minutes ago to prepare supper). Their strict father strid over to them, Five, Klaus and Luther trailing out of the kitchen.

"And how did she fall?" He asked in his strict voice.

"We... we were..." Ben begun.

"Training." Five said quickly. "We were practicing what to do in case of a robbery."

"And why is Number Seven training with you?"

"We wanted her to join in." Diego said from the stairs. "We needed another person and she wasn't really busy."

"Number Two. I believe I've said many times that Number Seven is not fit for training, as you can see now." he gestured to Vanya, who was already tearing up. "All of you, go to the training room and wait for me there." 

"Wait. Don't punish her." Five interjected as the others begun to move. "It was our idea to let her join."

"Number Five, do. As. You're told." Their father said. Five looked like he wanted to do exactcly the opposite, but Vanya gave her head a small shake and he sighed, turning and following the others. Grace arrived moment laters, her warm smile calming Vanya a little. She cleaned up Vanya's wound and put a small bandage around it, as well as cleaned the smaller cuts on her hands.

"Number Seven, I believe I have told you many times that you are not like your siblings." Reginald said after Grace helped her get up. Vanya bowed her head, tears biting at her eyes. "Go back to your quarters. Play the violin more. I want to see the melody perfected by the end of next week. You are dismissed." With that he turned and marched back to the training rooms. Grace squeezed her shoulder. She sighed, going back upstairs, taking out her violin and playing the song-

-all over again. Vanya lets the melody fade away at the right moment, lowering her instrument and looking out the window. She had been playing into the late hours of the night, lost in the music.

And it had told that little story of hers...


End file.
